Fabric-drawing device for sewing-machines.



A. H. DE v05.

FABRIC DRAWING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. I914,

1,251,253. j Patented Dec. 25,1917

NTOR

By f k ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

AEBEn'r H. DE VOIE, or wEszrmELnnEw JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE SINGER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

I FABBiC DBAWING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

, Application mm 41111127, 1914. Serial No. 834,655.

Be it known, that I, ALBERT H. DE Von, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westfield, in the county of Union andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric-Draw ing Devices for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawmgs.

This invention relates to-im-provements in fabric drawing devices for sewing machines,

adapted to handle the work when it leaves the machine after the stitch-forming opera tion, acting to pull away the stitched fabric so that the feeding mechanism of the machine may not be required to push against the inert folds. v usein connection with machines for seaming long strips ofbunting, canvas and the like,

. in which the stitching mechanism usually o erates'atvery high speed and the strips 1 v o? t c It will also be seen that the" device is ineffect ve to exert a pull upon that portion of material areqfed sorapidly throu h machine that, it has been customary or an o erator to constantly draw away the finis ed material at the rear of the machine to relieve the feed-dog from acting against the inertia and weight thereof.

By the present invention the stitched'material is drawn a ay asSoon as any slack in the same appears at the rear of the machine, the device comprising feeding elements of such form and arrangement that pull upon that portion. of thematerial rest mg on the work-plate of the machine 'is wholly avoidedso as not to interfere with the action of the stitch-forming elements.

1 ment towardand from the naled within the bearing boss of a support-v 50.

The invention comprises a positively driven= feed-roller mounted between spaced standards rigidly connected by means of a series of connecting rods, said roller acting in con'unction with an overlying idler-roller provi ed with an axial shaft which [projects slightly beyond each end thereof an within an openslot formed in the top of each standard. The idler-roller is sup orted for movedi'iven roller, and for this purpose each end of its shaft is jouring arm pivotally connected at itslower end to the lateral arm of a lifting lever di adjacent each standard, the two levers in rigidly connected by means of upper an lower connecting rods, the upper rod being journaledwithin' bearing apertures formed Specification of Letters Patent.

The device is adapted for,

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

in the standards. Inpractice, the device is secured to the work-table at the rear of a sewing machine, and the. stitched fabric is led beneath the lower connecting rod forthe lifting levers and thence between the feed rollers, the shaft-of the driven roller being provided with a grooved driving wheel havmg a belt connection with the main-shaft of the sewing machine. Slack in the stitched fabric will be drawn up by the action of the feed-rollers, but immediately thereafter the moving fabric will elevate the lifting levers for the 11 per roller and the device will become ine ective' until sufficient fabric is ad- 'vanced through the sewing machine to again form slack whereupon thelifting levers a d the connected idler-roller will move dow ward :and the rollers will act .to draw the slackfrom the work-table.

From the above it will be seen that the device is controlled by the fabric itself to actautomatically when the necessity arises.

the fabric being acted upon b the stitchforming mechanism of the mac ine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side eleva tion of the improvements applied to a sewing machine, showing by full and dotted lines the two positions of the idler-roller.

Fig.2 is a perspective view of the, improve 'ments; and Figs. 3 andi l are detail views of certain features of the improvements.

As shown in the drawings, the feeding, I elements are supported by a frame comprising the parallel standards 1, each provided with a base-plate 2 formed with apertures 3 to receive fastening screws for securin the device to the work-table at the rear 0 a machine Eachstandard is formed with thereon by means of screw B-the grooved driving wheel 9. The driving wheel may be connected with the main-shaft of. a sew- .-ing machine S by means of the belt b, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or, may receive itspower by other means, as desired. Overcl ampin the idler-roller 10, and being provided with" a bearin boss 12 to receive the axial shaft 11 of said roller. The lower end of each arm 12 is apertured to receive a stud-screw 13 fitted within a slot 14 formed in the lateral arm 15 of a lifting lever 16 fixed upon a fulcrum rod 17 journaled in the standards 1. The lifting levers 16 are formed withienlarged apertured lower ends to re ceive a connecting rod 18, the rod and levers being rigidly connected by means of-clampin screws 19. It will be seen from the forego ng that the levers 16, connecting rod 18 and fulorum-rod 17 form a lifting frame for the supporting arms 12 connected thereto and hence serve to control the movements of idler-roller 10, the latter being elevated;

when the frame is raised and being returned 10 its normal position when the'frame falls into initial position by gravity.

In some cases it will be found desirable to counterbalance the weight of the lifting frame and hence to reduce its pull upon the idler-roller. To this end'the fulcrum-rod 17 of the lifting frame projects beyond the outer face of its supporting standard 1 and is embraced by a helical spring 20, one end of said spring bein held fast within an aperture in a collar 1 secured in fixed position upon the-fulcrum-rod by means of a screw 22 and the opposite end of said sprlng being held fast withinan aperture in a collar 23 loosely mounted upon bearing sleeve 24;, which in turn is clamped within an aperture in the standard by means of screw 25. The collar 23 is formed with a threaded aperture to receive a lever pin26 which is employed to turn the collar and to clamp the same in its adjusted position upon the bearing sleeve 24. It will be seen that the collar 23 may be turned upon the sleeve 24 to wind the spring 20 and thus to cause the latter to exert a torsional force of the desired degree upon fulcrum-rod 17, such force tendlng to raise the liftin frame.

As shown 1n Fig. 1, the material m is led under connecting rod 18 of the lifting frame and thence between the feed-rollers 7 and 10.

As soon as the feeding mechanism of the sewing'machine supplies a slack of stitched material the feed-rollers will draw the same 7 The means in question include the the continued movement of the material will exert a pull upon the connecting rod 18 and the same will be raised to elevate the feedroller 10, whereupon the action of the feed-- rollers will cease until a new supply of slack in the fabric permits the lifting frame to drop by gravity into its initial position. By ad ustlng the spring 20 the operator may increase or decrease the degree of lifting force necessary to elevate the idler-roller.

Itmay be found desirable to adjust spring 20 to so act upon the levers 16 that the latter will pull downwardly upon the idler-roller to increase the pressure of the rollers upon the fabric, which is advantageous when device is employed in connection with hea y or stiff fabrics. Such adjustment may be obtained by turning. the spring in a direction reverse to that in which-it is turned to exert a lifting pressure upon the lev'ers,as will be understood without further explanation. It will be seen that a single spring serves to act'upon two spaced levers withv equal effect and that the lifting force or the pull upon the idler-roller is the same at both ends thereof, which insures proper drawing of the fabric.

The invention is of a character susceptible of various modifications 1n the form and arrangement of the elements and therefore the same is not limited to the precise embodi-.

ment herein shown and described;

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination'with parallel 00- operating feed-rollers, of means for moving on'of said rollers relatively tothe other in-. cluding a lever extending into the path of.

2. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination with a frame and a feed-roller mounted in said frame, of a second feed-roller adapted to coact with and bodily movable relatively to the first feedroller, driving means for one of said feedrollers, a lever connected with said bodily movable feed-roller, and extending into the path of movement of the fabric wherebyv said lever is automatically operated at intervals.

3. In fabric drawing devices for sewing.

machines, the combination with a' frame, a feed-roller mounted in said frame and actuatingmeans therefor, of a second coacting feed-roller, movable supporting arms connected to said second feed-roller, lifting levers connected to said supporting arms, and a rod connecting said liftingleversr 4. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination with a frame, a feed-roller mounted in said frame and achiating means therefor, of a second bodily movable feed-roller mounted in said frame for cooperation with the first feed-roller, a lever connected with said second feedroller and extending into the path of moveinent of the fabric, and a spring connected with said lever and tending to move the same.

5. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination with a frame, a feed-roller mounted in said frame and actuating means therefor, of a second coacting feed-roller mounted in said frame, a lever connected with said second feed-roller, a spring connected with said lever and tending to move the same, and means for changing the tension of saidspring and for rendering the same ineffective.

6. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination with a frame in cluding spaced standards, of a feed-roller mounted in said frame, actuating meansfor said feed-roller, a second coacting feedroller, a supporting .arm for each end of the second feed-roller, a lever connected to each supportingarm, a rod connecting the lower ends of saidlevers, a pivotal connection between said levers and the spaced standards, and a spring for exerting a pressure upon said levers.

7. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, the combination with a frame, a feed-roller mounted in said frame and actuating means therefor, of a second coacting feed-roller mounted in said frame, levers engaging the ends of one of said rollers, a spring adapted to act upon said levers, and

means whereby the action of said spring will feed members between which the fabric is gripped, of means extending into the path of movement of and controlled by the tension of the fabric for varying the spacing apart of said members upon the fabric and thereby controlling their feeding action.

10. In fabric drawing devices for sewing machines, in combination with main feeding mechanism and secondary feeding means, the latter comprlsmg cooperating feeding mempers ment extending into the path of movement between which the fabric is I gripped and means including a movable ele fabric, for controlling the feeding action of said gripping members.

11. In a sewing machine, in combination, fabric-feeding means and fabric drawing means, said latter ;means comprising fabricgrlpping elements adapted to engage the material being operated upon and to pull the same away from the fabric-feeding point, and devices actuated by the fabric tension for varying the fabric-engaging grip of said elements. 1 e I I r In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 'two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. DE" VOE. Witnesses a W. LEE Hum rs, vI-I. A. KoRNnMAnN, Jr.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1.251.353.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,251,353, granted December 1 25, 1917, upon the application of Albert H. De Voe, of Westfield, New Jersey, for

an improvement in Fabric-Drawing Devices for Sewing-Machines, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 56, claim 9, strike out the words "upon the fabric; same page, line 62, claim 10, for the Word mempers read members; same page and claim, line 66, for the word feeding read gripping, and line 67, for the word "gripping read feeding; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Olfice Signed and sealed this 26th day of February, A. D., 1918.

[emu] F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Cl. 1l2--8. 

